


Permisson Not Really Necessary

by musikurt



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-28
Updated: 2012-11-28
Packaged: 2017-11-19 18:52:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/576525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikurt/pseuds/musikurt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marcus decides to comply with the family tradition of asking permission before getting married and writes his father a difficult letter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Permisson Not Really Necessary

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a Harry Potter Twitter RP AU in which Marcus had a failed Quidditch career right out of Hogwarts (things spiraled out of control quickly) and went to live in the Muggle world after feeling disowned by his parents. He eventually came back, opened a successful nightclub, and found himself in an unexpected relationship. A few months before this takes place, Marcus reconciled with his father at the urging of his aunt and the revelation that his father has an incurable terminal illness. Just prior to this scene, Marcus accepted a marriage proposal.

Marcus waited until he was certain the person beside him was asleep. He found himself smiling as he slowly rolled out of the bed and quietly stepped into the other room. He fetched some parchment, a quill, and a small bottle of ink from his bag. As he settled into the chair in front of the desk, he lit a candle and started to think on what he might write.

It was a Flint family tradition that one ask the patriarch for permission to add someone new to the family through marriage. Marcus was not much on all of the pureblood family traditions himself, but considering that he and his parents had only recently begun to reconcile, he felt like he should make an effort. He had every intention of marrying, even if his father disapproved, but he hoped that would not become the case.

He held the quill to the paper for several minutes before penning the first words:

_Dear father,_

_I hope this letter is finding you well and that mother and Millie are the same. I am currently writing you from Greece where I have gone to celebrate the birthday of a friend from school. Without a doubt, you know the Urquharts' son, Maxwell?_

_I am certain you realize that I would send you an Owl merely to update you on my social engagements, so I will dispense with the pretense at this point. I am writing to make a request as part of a time-honoured family tradition and I hope that, in the end, you will support my choice._

_Before I get there, though, I feel the need to comment on the purpose of traditions and what they mean to me. I know they are very important to you. For you, the family traditions define who you are. They represent your life and the lives of the ancestors who came before us. As I have heard you state, through traditions, we not only connect to our family's rich history, but we also gain a deeper understanding of who we are._

_I expect that you might think I do not respect traditions. Much of my life over the past few years has not followed the "traditional" path. I pursued a career of celebrity, and foolishly so. When I felt there was little else left here for me, I uprooted and spent some time living in the Muggle world. None of this, however, was done as a disrespect to the family or the Flint traditions._

_As you know, a point of pride for Flints through the ages has been our self-reliance. By disconnecting from my magical background for a while, I understood exactly what that means. Through starting anew where no one knew me and no family name to rely on, I had to build my own reputation and success. In those few short years, I learned more about how to succeed than I think I learned in seven years at Hogwarts. During that time, I gained a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices and hard work of Antonius and his father before him. The stories you told me while I was a child became more than fables - they became my life._

_I am uncertain if I can ever help you to truly understand the choices I made, but I also am uncertain that it is necessary for me to do so. What is important, to me, is that you know they were not the result of rash decisions and that, while it may have seemed like I was running away, my actions required a courage I could not have summoned without the history and traditions of our family._

_It is no secret that you had many expectations regarding where my life would go. And I believe that is a reality for any parent. And just as it can be hard for a parent to watch their child go down a different path, it can be just as difficult to be that child. When one wants to live their life they way their heart and head tells them - something that you know is an important value in our family - it can be difficult to see it as differing from what is expected. There is no joy in feeling like your parents are disappointed in you when you know you have done nothing wrong._

_Maybe my life has not gone as you expected - and it certainly has not gone the way I expected, either. But I hope you can be proud that your son has persevered through adversity, become an upstanding citizen, developed a successful business, and built a life in which he is both fulfilled and happy. And if that means that maybe my life does not fit into all of the cookie-cutter traditions of my grandfather or great-grandfather, it does not make it any less valid or acceptable._

_I had not intended to make this a treatise on why it is acceptable for me to live my life as I have lived it. With all frankness, that should really go without saying. But I guess I want you to understand that if you feel any disappointment as a result of who I have become, nothing I have done was meant to intentionally lead you to that place. Disappointing my family is the last thing I would ever want to do._

_And at the risk of further disappointment, I need to state my request. In honour of your place as head of the Flint family, I ask your approval to take someone's hand in marriage. And you know who that someone would be. But before you immediately say 'no' simply because the union is 'non-traditional' think for a moment on what the tradition of marriage means. It is, after all, the joining together of two individuals who love each other and bring each other happiness. It is the official commitment of two individuals to each other for eternity. The tradition of love and marriage goes well beyond our own little family. For someone truly in love, marriage is one of the most noble and fulfilling acts. And as one of those 'someones', I can say that there is nothing I want more out of life at this very moment._

_So I come seeking your approval, but in all honesty, I do not believe it necessary. I do not say this out of disrespect to you but out of respect for myself and my ability to make my own choices. Your blessing is welcome and I hope you can support us, but if 'family traditions' are going to stand in the way of that, I guess maybe you can keep them._

_Your not-so-traditional son,_

_Marcus_

He read the letter in its entirety twice before rolling it up and sending it on its way. He worried that perhaps he was a bit too accusatory in his tone. He had hesitated to tell his father how he truly felt about some of the judgments his parents made about his life out of deference to his father's illness. There had been a few conversations on the subject in the preceding weeks, but Marcus had always offered a watered-down description of his feelings. But perhaps now was the right time to truly assert his feelings, as awkward as it had been for him to write them down. He sat in the glow of the candle for several minutes before returning to bed.

 

The next morning, Marcus spotted an owl at the window while he was setting the table for breakfast. He quietly opened the window to retrieve the note while watching the doorway out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to keep his correspondence with his father a secret, regardless of the response. There was no need to pull his fiance into it - he would either worry or be upset. Marcus took a deep breath before he unrolled the small slip of paper.

_Marcus,_

_Son, you know we love you and have never meant to give you the impression we are disappointed in you. Yes, many things have not gone as we expected, but what are expectations anyway. You seem to be very happy with Draco and what kind of parents would we be if we did not support you in that happiness? You have our blessing and many wishes for a fulfilling life together._

_With love,  
Dad_

_P.S. Your mother says that 'not-so-traditional' or no, you cannot skip the tradition of a dinner between the two families prior to the wedding. It would be in your best interests to invite the Malfoys to a dinner at your earliest convenience._

Marcus smiled as he read the note, a tear forming at the corner of his left eye. He stared at it for a moment and then quickly tucked it away as he heard movement in the next room. He wiped his eyes and busied himself with the rest of the table settings while trying to regain his composure. He was truly a very lucky man.


End file.
